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WEEK OF APRIL
9-15 2015
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Arbitration Man has presided over informal hearings for three decades. He’s now blogging about it BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
Arbitration Man is the common folks’ hero. Or at least their jurist. For 30 years, Arbitration Man has sat in a satellite office of the civil court building at 111 Centre St. every few weeks and absorbed New Yorkers’ accountings of burned dry cleaning, lousy paint jobs, fender benders, lost security deposits and the like. And then he’s decided. About a year ago, Arbitration Man, who requested anonymity so to not affect future proceedings, started documenting about two dozen of what he considers his most compelling cases in an eponymous blog. “I decided to write about it because I was interested in the stories but wanted to write about it not from a lawyer’s point of view but rather from a lay point of view,” said Arbitration Man, a practicing lawyer since 1961. He first writes about what’s at issue and then, in a separate post, renders his decision, detailing how he arrived at his conclusion. Visitors to the blog often weigh in with their opinions. “I really want to get a rap going. I really want to know whether they understood what I did and why I did it,” he said. “Most people don’t know how the judge thinks. ... I’d like my cases to reflect my personality and also my tremendous respect for the law.” Arbitration Man, 80, went into individual practice in 1985, settling suc-
THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, THANKS TO A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTRUCTION NEWS The Department of Buildings is handing out a record number of after-hours work permits, according to new data BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS
Every New Yorker knows the sound: the metal-on-metal clang, the hollow boom, the piercing beeps of a truck moving in reverse. A glance at the alarm clock and you can hardly believe it: it’s the middle of the night, and yet construction carries on full-tilt. You can call 311 or your local police
precinct, but chances are the work is being done legally -- thanks to a boom in the number of after-hours construction permits throughout the city. Over the past three years, the number of after-hours work permits granted by the city’s Dept. of Buildings has jumped 30 percent, according to DOB data provided in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The city classifies any construction work between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., or on the weekend, as after-hours. The surge in permits has generated millions of dollars in fees for the city agency, and left some residents convinced that the application
process is a mere formality for developers looking to complete their projects quickly. “They pick out their own hours,” said Mildred Angelo, who lives on the 19th floor in one of the Ruppert Houses on 92nd Street between Second and Third avenues. She said there’s an ongoing all-hours construction project nearby where workers constantly make noise transferring cement from trucks. “They do whatever they want. They can come and go as they please. They have no respect.” The increased issuance of these variances has led to a correspond-
The effort to help small businesses in the city seems to be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Margaret Chin and Robert Cornegy, have introduced legislation that would create a new “Office of the Small Business Advocate” within the city’s Department of Small Business Services. The new post, which Chin told us she’d like to have up and running this year, would serve as an ombudsman for small businesses within city government, helping them clear through the bureaucracy to get things done. Perhaps even more importantly, the ombudsman also will tally the type and number of complaints by small business owners, the actions taken in response, and some policy recommendations for ways to begin to fix things. If done well, the ombudsman’s report would give us the first quantitative taste of what’s wrong with small businesses in the city, an important first step towards fixing the problem. To really make a difference, of course, the advocate will have to find a way to tackle rising rents, which remain many business’ most vexing problem. While Chin said it’s too early to gauge what role the advocate could have there, more information on the problem can’t be a bad thing. This step, combined with the efforts by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer to mediate the rent renewal process, offer some early, tangible signs of progress. For many small business owners, that can’t come soon enough.
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous because it about “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration a lay point of view,” lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing Visitors to the blog at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiArbitration Man, suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman number and type the will tally business of complaints by small taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an in businesses small towards important first step fixing the problem. of formality for deTo really make a difference, process is a mere complete their will have to to are the work course, the advocaterising rents, precinct, but chances-- thanks to a velopers looking find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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for dollars in fees ated millions of and left some resithe city agency, that the application dents convinced
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